Cuomo on ‘standby’ for Obama, might head for Ohio

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will rally Friday with three Democratic congressional representatives locked in close re-election campaigns, the governor said on a radio show.

Cuomo said he would endorse, in person, Reps. Kathy Hochul of suburban Buffalo, Louise Slaughter of Rochester and Tim Bishop of Long Island. The governor will also appear for Dan Maffei, a former congressman running in a re-match against Republican Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle of Syracuse.

Public opinion polls show Cuomo, a Democrat, is viewed favorably by over 2/3 of voters and is well-rated by a majority of self-identified Republicans. His endorsement is widely sought, but Cuomo since taking office has reserved his political capital for candidates with a solid shot of winning. He has not backed a loser in the past two years.

On Wednesday, Cuomo attended a fundraiser with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, to benefit a Super PAC that boosts Democratic candidates including Hochul. Cuomo earlier this week also offered an endorsement of Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh. The governor has not spoken up on behalf of two other Democratic challengers in the Hudson Valley: Sean Patrick Maloney and Julian Schreibman.

Cuomo also said he is “on standby” to campaign in swing states — perhaps Virginia or Ohio — on behalf of Barack Obama.

“To the extent I can be helpful, they should deploy me,” Cuomo said in an interview on WGDJ. “It’s going to be the same conversation [as a speech from the Democratic Convention]: what [Mitt Romney’s] budget will do to the country.”